Williams – New report shows how Stockton and Tees Valley under shadow of Brexit

Williams – New report shows how Stockton and Tees Valley under shadow of Brexit

July 04, 2018 10:48 AM

Stockton, Middlesbrough and Hartlepool would be amongst the three hardest hit towns in England if Brexit goes ahead – with key machinery and transport equipment exports at risk of being hammered and the region’s chemical industry – which offers some of the best paid jobs in manufacturing – open to being clobbered.

These are two of the findings of a new report into the regional impact of Brexit being highlighted by Dr Paul Williams MP.

The report – An Equal Exit? – has been published by the influential Institute for Public Policy Research (https://www.ippr.org/research/publications/an-equal-exit). It examines how Brexit could hit wages – which is where the chemical industry is threatened – and exports to the EU: where the machinery exports are at risk.

Commenting, Dr Paul Williams MP said:

“If Brexit happens well-paid and highly-skilled jobs in County Durham and the Tees Valley will be at long-term risk because even the smallest barrier in high volume export industries like chemicals means costs rack up quickly.

“It’s not just the people who work in these jobs who are being left with an uncertain future – it’s all the families and communities, from the shops to primary schools – that will be damaged if the jobs start to disappear or wages start to decline.

“Nobody voted to be worse off because of Brexit and as the details of the risks and costs that are a result of the mess the Government have made of the negotiations comes to light, more and more people are joining the demand for a People’s Vote on the final Brexit deal.”

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